title: Effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention program in the reduction of caregiver burden in Alzheimer's disease patients' caregivers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) experience physical and psychological stress due to the caring experience. This study evaluated the benefits of a Psychoeducational Intervention Program (PIP) on caregiver burden in southern Europe.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicentre, prospective, randomised study was conducted. One hundred and fifteen caregivers of patients with clinical diagnosis of AD (DSM-IV-TR criteria, mini-mental score = 10-26) and functional impairment (Lawton and Brody Scale and Katz Index) were recruited. Caregivers were randomised to receive either PIP (IG: intervention group, n = 60) or standard care (CG: control group, n = 55). PIP consisted of eight individual sessions over 4 months for teaching strategies for confronting problems of AD patient care. Caregivers' stress, quality of life and perceived health were measured using validated scales (Zarit, SF-36, GHQ-28, respectively) at baseline and after 4 and 10-months follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean change in caregiver burden (Zarit baseline-Zarit final scores) was statistically significant (p = 0.0083) showing an improvement in the IG (-8.09 points) and a worsening in the CG (2.08 points). The IG showed significant improvements in all the well-being perception areas measured by the SF-36 and a significantly lower score in the GHQ-28 (p = 0.0004). 97.7% of caregivers and 88.6% of therapists considered PIP 'useful/very useful' at 4 months (the end of PIP) whereas at 10 months the estimates were 93.2% and 86.3%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychosocial training of caregivers can minimise caregiver distress and help them to develop problem-solving strategies. A PIP improves quality of life and the perceived health of caregivers of patients with AD.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Psiquiátricas, Clínica Psiquiátrica Padre Menni, Pamplona, Spain. mmartin@clinicapadremenni.org
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martín-Carrasco
authors.forename: Manuel Franco
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: Carmelo Pelegrín
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Valero
authors.forename: Pedro Roy
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Millán
authors.forename: Celso Iglesias
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Salvador Ros
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Montalbán
authors.forename: Ana Luisa Gobartt
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.forename: Sonia Pons
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Piris
authors.forename: Montserrat Balañá
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Vilanova
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006304:Health Status; D006792:House Calls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011340:Problem Solving; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D013030:Spain; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires